Glimpses
by Alhendra
Summary: A short peek through a character's eyes on a special day.


Glimpses  
  
Disclaimer: Surprise, surprise, nothing in Harry Potter's world belongs to me!  
  
A/n's: A quick 5 min piece.criticisms welcome. Oh, and I gotta thank everyone who reads my stories, and gives me feedback, whether that is by review, email, or chat. Thanks a lot, it means so much to me ;)  
  
***  
  
Carnival.  
  
Nicest day of the year.  
  
I laugh and let myself move with crowds, dancing and shouting with the rest of them. Little princesses line the streets, and Zorros and Batmans rub shoulders together with cowboys and clowns. Drunk people form a mass of jumping bodies, roaring and singing some song. I join them, letting their revelry wash over me.  
  
I'm thankful that Dumbledore sent all students of our year out to see what carnival is like for Muggle Studies, and allowed even those without the subject to come along with us. I don't like sneaking out of school much, even though I have been doing just that for the past seven years for Carnival. I could never miss this festival, even if it meant being caught. For this one day, I do things I'd never do the rest of the year.  
  
I don't know how to dance, but when I enter a space cleared for dancing, I dance. I let go of all propriety and dignity and dance, changing partner at every blink of the eye, laughing at myself and at the hilarity I feel in just letting go, for once doing things without thinking everything through.  
  
I stagger out of the dancing area rather unsteady on my feet, and catch sight of a Hufflepuff of our year leaning against a wall. As she looks at me, her eyes widen in surprise. I wink at her, and can't help laughing aloud as her jaw drops open in disbelief. She keeps looking at me until the swirls of the crowd hide her from me - or maybe me from her.  
  
I continue on, putting her out of mind. Today, it doesn't matter what people see me doing. Tomorrow, I can plead too much alcohol, even though I haven't touched a drop. But today.....today I am alive.  
  
A few more streets, and I stumble upon the majority of our year, from all four houses, sitting on the pavement, all drunk. This is indicated quite strongly not only by the amount of empty bottles littering the street, but also at the fact that all four houses are quite close and there is no sense of hostility around. The houses keep mostly to themselves, true, but Oliver and Marcus are barely five feet apart, yet no blood is being spilt. Sometimes I wonder if they are like Ron and Draco, who I suspect would rather be tumbling each other into bed than strangling each other, or maybe both at the same time - if they ever realized it, that is. Then again, Oliver and Flint have the rivalry of being quidditch captains thrown into the bargain, and in any case, I'd rather not explore that option too much. Oliver single is fine for me.  
  
Oliver looks up at me and smiles - through an alcohol induced haze, I'll bet.  
  
"Haven't seen ya like this ever, mate," he says. "How much've you had to drink?"  
  
I laugh and drop to my knees in front of him. "Not a drop," I tell him, grinning.  
  
"Yeah, right," he says sarcastically, an effort rather spoilt by the brandishing of his wine bottle. "You ain't acting yourself, Percy, mate."  
  
I laugh again and cup his face with both hands, and then lean in for a kiss. The students around us are too drunk to remember anything tomorrow, I think, and even if they do, I got the alcohol excuse. Today nothing can stop me.  
  
Oliver responds - unsurprisingly, it's funny what alcohol does to inhibition. He tastes of alcohol, but there's a taste underlying that which I can only describe as pure Oliver.  
  
I move back, still smiling, and he looks up with a slightly unfocused expression. "And then you tell me you aren't stoned," he says with a rather accusatory tone. I can barely repress a giggle.  
  
"I don't drink," I wink at him. "I love you, Oliver, and I've done so for a long time now." I lean in for another kiss, and then I'm up and running once more into the revelry around me.  
  
With my school robes, I fit right into the crowds, people smiling at my 'costume', and my laughter does not occasion comment. Only a couple of times do people look at me askance, and that only makes me laugh harder. They do not see the joke.  
  
Oh, but what a rich joke it is. Carnival - the day when everyone dresses up as a different person and dons a false mask.  
  
And, me, Percy Weasley, I wear my mask for every day of the year, except on carnival. On carnival, the real me is bared, to anyone who wants to see. Tomorrow, I will lie, and pretend I drank too much alcohol. Tomorrow, I will lie, and pretend I don't remember much of today.  
  
But today, today there are no lies and no deception. Today I am truly alive.  
  
Today I am truly me.  
  
~Fin. 


End file.
